[Phoenix Flame]

Originally Posted by ShadowHeart

The game keeps a score for each character that it is possible to have a date with (ie, Tifa, Aeris, Yuffie and Barret). These scores can be increased and decreased through multiple dialog options throughout the first disc, and some other things. It's impossible to find out what the score is for a character, you'll only know who has the most once the date happens. Aeris starts with the most, Tifa second most, Yuffie third most and Barret the least. There is quite a gap from Tifa down to Yuffie and Barret, so to get Yuffie or Barret you almost have to know in advance exactly what dialog options to pick throughout the game. For Barret and Yuffie, it's not really enough to be nice to them, you also have to be mean (well, not nice anyway) to both Aeris and Tifa.

There is a very detailed FAQ about this at GameFAQs, that explains the system in detail and also lists every thing in the game, every single dialog option as well as other things that affect the relationship scores.

If you want to see the dates without starting over on a new game for each, you can download movies that show the full dates. I know I saw it somewhere, I just can't remember where..

And just like Zeromus said, the date has no effect on the story..

Dang! I totally didn't know about the Yuffie/Barrett date thing!
*Sigh* Looks like I gotta invest more time in VII... joygasm!